Apparatus for treating moldable materials



Nov. 14, Y1939. R. E.'THoMPsoN 2,179,968

APPARATUS FUR TREATIVNG HOLDABLE HATERIALS Fi1ed.1=eb. 2.5, 1938 Y Patented Nov. 14, r1939 PATENT f OFFICE 2.17am malwrvs Fon mama' Momnu:

sauna MAT Ralph E. Thompson, Brookline, Masa. Application February za., 193s, semi No. 192,013

y 5 Claim 'I'his invention consists in a novel apparatus for heating and softening thermoplastic materials preparatory to molding. A large number of these materials require heat treatment to render them sumciently workable to be injected un'- der pressure into molds.

-In general practice, apparatus is employed for this purpose which includes a hopper for the reception of the materialin powdered or granular form, a piston for compressing the material and 'forcing it through a heated conduit, and an injection nozzle dischargingv into themold.V Heretofore the conduit has-been providedwith a centrally disposed core, or..pineappie which clistributes the material beingdelivered in the shape A of a ring, thus increasing the surface area ofthe material and vtending to enectuniform heating i of the mass. However, such ,apparatus demands skilled attendance and the heating is not satisfactorily uniform in operation. I have invented an improved process and apparatus for heating molding material directly prior to its injection through a nozzle, which secures much greater uniformity of heating than has heretofore been obtained, and which does not require the attendance of a skilled. operator.

An important object of my invention is'to heat,

without burning, va mass of moldable materialA uniformly and in a short space of time in order to reduce it to workable condition.

A further object of my invention is to increase` the capacity oi molding apparatus by providing a heating unit which is more` eillcient in point of timeand uniformity of heat distribution than heating units now in use.. An improved advan- 'tage inthe heating unit results from the fact that it may be applied to existing apparatus without expensive alterations.

In one aspect my invention comprises a novel process which consists in passing moldable material through tubular passages in a conduit formed of material having electrichcating resistance and included as a resistance element in a circuit operating from a low voltage circuit, the mass of molding material being lthus broken up into relatively small portions as it is forced into the,

ticles, which require .heat treatment.

condensates, formaldehyderesinsfakelite. wax,

(cl. '21a-39) step-down transformer. Thematerial of the conduit possesses -higher specific resistance than the conductor and is heatedto high temperatures when low voltage high .amperage current from a suitable source is passed through it. A lplurality 5 of slots are preferably cut into-the body of the conduit in order to distribute the skin eiect and promote an even and' uniform heat, when alternating current is employed. When direct current is employed, there isfno necessity'of providlo ing-slots.

By .the term moldablematerials, I mean all substances used .in "manufacturing molded1 ar i P eno and cellulose derivatives are .examples of the A, class of substances which may eifectively be used in molding apparatus employing my invention.

' These and other features of my invention' will be` more easily understood'and appreciated from the following detailed descriptionof the specific embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown on the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a conduit and nozzle constructed according to my invention and including a diagrammatic showing of the transformer.

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal cross section A of the structure shown in Fig. l. on the line 2-2 30 of Fig. 3. i

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section on the line 3-3'of Fig. 1.

The conduit Il isl shown asl connected to an annular.v flange I4 on the end ofa compression 35 chamber I5. The material to be molded is drawn from hoppers to the chamber .15, whereupon a piston (not shown) forces it into the conduit IB. where it is to be heated. After the material leaves the conduit Il, it is ejected from the-apparatus through a tapered nozzle. 28 which registers with the inlet orice of a mold (not shown).

The conduit Itis cylindrical in shape and may' be formed of steel or other tough metal. Integral with the ends of the conduit It are an- -nular attaching flanges I2'and 2 4. The flange I2 -is attached by bolts 'IB to a corresponding flange I4 integral with the end of the compression chamber Il which 'is -formed by hollow, cylindrical walls I8l and I9. Within the body of 50 thel conduit` i0-are small tubular passages 20 formed in concentric rows and flared at each end. Radial `slots'22 -are cut into the conduit I0v and disposed among the passages 20 so that every passage is adjacent at least twoof the slots 22.

A nozzle housing 2B having an integral attaching ilange 21 is secured by bolts 30 to the flange 24 on the conduit lll. 'I'hreaded into the nozzle housing 26 is a nozzle 28 which is provided with an elongated tapered passage 29.

A broad, U-shaped band 32 of copper or other material oi high electrical conductivity is cut out at each end as a gasket and is clamped by its ends to the conduit I0 adjacent to anges l2 and 26 and held in position by bolts I6 and 30. The conduit IB is thus disposed between the Walls of the band `32. The bottom ci the U-shaped band 32 is shown as incorporated as the secondary circuit of a step-down transformer which includes a primary Winding 3d and a core 36. The transformer is designed to induce an electric current in the band 32 having a low voltage and very high amper-age. The current iiows through the band 32, and the conduit l0 is heated to Vhigh temperature because of its resistance. Since the property known as skin eilect, which is exhibited by large bodies when conducting alternating current, tends to concentrate the current at the surface, l prefer to provide radial slots 22 in the conduit l0 to obtain uniform` distribution of the current throughout the body of the conduit I0 and in close proximity to the passages 20 through which molded material is delivered to the nozzle 28. Every portion or the molding material-is thus placed in intimate contact with heated surfaces which render it workable and sufliclently plastic to take the shape of a mold when injected therein under pressure. Various moldable materials require dierent temperatures, but a machine equipped with a conduit constructed according to my invention is ca= pable of treating all types of moldable material since the temperature ci the conduit may easily be regulated by -conventional means. Having thus described and illustrated my invention, what l claim as nec;r and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi United States is:

l. An apparatus for treating thermo-plastic material, which comprises an elongated one` piece conduit provided with a plurality oi concentric rows oi' small lsore'passages and radial slots adjacent said passages, a lli-shaped band of conducting material having its ends clamped to the ends of said conduit, and a transformer circuit including sald U-shaped band and said conduit in the secondary circuit.

2. An apparatus for heating moldable material, which comprises a conduit provided with a plurality of axially disposed streamlined passages and radial slots adjacent thereto, a transformer circuit, and a U-shaped band of copper connested to the ends of said conduit and serving with said conduit as the secondary circuit of said transformer.

3. An apparatus for heating moldable material, which comprises a conduit disposed between the nozzle and the compression chamber of a mold ing apparatus and provided with axially disposed posed concentric rows ci small passages and a,

plurality of slots adjacent thereto and spaced from the ends of the conduit, a transformer, and means (zo-operating with said transformer to heat said conduit by its resistance to electricity, said slots serving to distribute heat evenly throughout the conduit.

5. An apparatus for 'heating moldable inaterial, which comprises an elongated conduit of .metal provided with a plurality oi radial slots spaced from its ends and a plurality of longiltudinal tubular passages evenly distributed in the conduit adjacent said radial slots, a transformer circuit, .and means connected to the ends of said conduit for including it in the secondary circuit of said transformer.

RALPH. E. THOMPSON. 

